08/26/2020 at 0900This is the most current fire, Evacuation and Road Closure information for Plumas County related to the #ClaremontFire and the #BearFire. This post supersedes and/or affirms all earlier posts.The #ClaremontFire made slight progress overnight and fire crews continued to build more dozer line. Significant progress was made to fire line south west of the community of Greenhorn in the area of Squirrel Creek to strengthen its protection. The fire slowly burnt to the north east overnight but made no significant runs or spots. After lengthy discussions with the USFS we are modifying the Quincy LaPorte Road evacuation area to ADVISORY STATUS WITH MODIFICATIONS. RESIDENTS ONLY that reside from Thompson Creek north to Highway 70 will be allowed to return to their homes or access this area. We ask that those residents in this area restrict their travel on LaPorte road to essential travel only and use extreme caution when traveling as there is still increased fire personnel activity on LaPorte road. Reduce travel speeds to insure safe travel. Residents from the intersection of LaPorte road to Massack return to ADVISORY STATUS. Residents in that area may return to their homes. The CHP will be doing increased patrol on Highway 70 and motorists NEED to reduce speed. There will be a reduced speed limit to 35MPH until further notice. *RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAs NEED TO CONSISTANTLY MONITOR LOCAL FIRE INFORMATION AND BE PREPAIRED FOR POSSIBLE CHANGES*The #BearFire has burnt to the west and the north east growing to around 4,800 acres. This morning we issued an evacuation ADVISORY for a portion of the Bucks Lake community: Big Creek Road from the Mount Ararat Road to Bucklin Road (to include Countryman Drive and Grizzly Loop) and Bucks Lake Road south of the Old Transfer Station Rd (Timberline Lodge) extending to the area of the On Top Mine to include the Bucks Highlands area. Today’s weather will be like yesterday with mostly clear skies (aside from smoke) and the smoke will continue to blow in a north, north east direction. Today will be the coolest of the five days with temperatures in a slow rise.Remember we have created an interactive Map Link (induvial addresses can be put into this map to see where it falls)http://mgo.ms/s/yokm6

 see related link for smoke outlook.

North Complex Resources: 33 dozers, 155 engines, 16 handcrews, 15 helicopters, 31 water tenders

There will be a virtual community meeting tonight at 5 p.m. Representatives from the Fire Management team will be available to provide updates on the North Complex fires: Sheep, Claremont, & Bear. Join the live Zoom meeting at https://usfs.zoomgov.com/j/1607397992

Current Situation on the North Complex: The North Complex consists of multiple lightning-caused fires (August 17, 2020) on the Plumas and Lassen National Forests. Crews will again take advantage of cooler, moister air this morning to get a head start to build or strengthen dozer and hand line on the Sheep, Claremont, and Bear Fires. To date, the Sheep Fire has destroyed 9, damaged 1, and threatened 2,000 residences. Crews reinforced dozer lines yesterday on the north side of the Claremont Fire below Quincy enough to consider a portion of that line contained. On the Bear Fire, crews worked to strengthen a defensive line along Slate Creek Spur on the north side of the fire in an effort to catch any threat of it moving towards Quincy.

Of the many smaller fires associated with the North Complex, and outside the management delegation with the California Incident Management Team 1, the Plumas National Forest is reporting that the Evans, Copper, Iron, Branch, and Paxton are now considered CONTROLLED and will continue to be monitored. Davis, Davis 2, Kessler, Meyers, and Neer are considered OUT. Anna, Monitor, Monitor 2, and Monitor 3 were considered OUT on August 23. The Copper and Iron Fires remain 100% contained and are under mop up and patrol. Those fires ranged in size from .1 acres to 8 acres.

Weather: It will be mostly sunny today with mild temperatures and modest relative humidities. Winds will be terrain driven until early to mid-afternoon, and then will become generally southwest once again. It's likely to become hotter and drier Thursday into the weekend with temperatures jumping 10 degrees for highs. Dry conditions will lead to bigger diurnal temperature ranges later this week into the weekend. Southeast flow Friday will bring a slight chance of slow moving thunderstorms. Otherwise, hot and dry will be the theme this weekend into early next week.

Air Quality: Quincy and Susanville continue to be impacted by Unhealthy to Hazardous levels of smoke. Southwest winds should keep smoke moving to the northeast of the fires. For more information on air quality and to see monitors near you, visit Airnow or the California Smoke Blog. For more information on what you can do to protect yourself and loved ones, visit the EPA's site on fires and your health. Your local health department is also a great source of information!

Closures/Evacuations: Evacuation Advisory Alert is in effect for the communities of Cromberg and Sloat. Residents there should make preparations to evacuate. Hwy 70 is currently open with a police escort from La Porte Road to Spring Garden.

An evacuation center remains in place for Susanville at the Lassen Community College Dormitories. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds.

For immediate text notifications about emergency alerts, residents can sign up for the Plumas and Lassen County’s CodeRed Emergency Alert System from their respective websites: Plumas—https://www.plumascounty.us/; Lassen —http://www.lassencounty.org/dept/sheriffs-office/sheriffs-office Visit CalTrans at quickmap.dot.ca.gov or call 1-800-427-7623 for the latest maps and information of road closures in your area.

COVID-19: California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 has implemented precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in both fire the surrounding communities.

North Complex Fires: Claremont Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6996/ Bear Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7025/ Sheep Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7067/ Forest Closures: https://fs.usda.gov/alerts/plumas/alerts-notices

North Complex Resources: 33 dozers, 155 engines, 16 hand crews, 15 helicopters, 31 water tenders

Current Situation on the North Complex: The North Complex consists of multiple lightning caused fires (August 17, 2020) on the Plumas and Lassen National Forests.

Light precipitation and higher relative humidities gave crews a head start today to build or strengthen dozer and hand line on the Sheep, Claremont, and Bear Fires. To date, the Sheep Fire has destroyed 9, damaged 1, and threatened 2,000 residences. Crews reinforced dozer lines on the north side of the Claremont Fire below Quincy enough to consider a portion of that line contained. On the Bear Fire, crews worked to strengthen a defensive line along Slate Creek Spur on the north side of the fire in an effort to catch any threat of the fire moving north towards Quincy.

Of the many smaller fires associated with the North Complex, and outside the management delegation with the California Incident Management Team 1, the Plumas National Forest is reporting that the Evans, Copper, Iron, Branch, Kessler, and Paxton are now considered CONTROLLED and will continue to be monitored. Davis, Davis 2, Meyers, and Neer are considered OUT. Anna, Monitor, Monitor 2, and Monitor 3 were considered OUT on August 23. The Copper and Iron fires remain 100% contained and are under mop up. Those fires ranged in size from .1 acres to 8 acres.

Weather: Smoke and haze from wildfires will continue to impact air quality and temperatures over interior Northern California for the next several days. Expect, overall dry weather this week, but a few late day storms will be possible over the mountains into mid-week, and slightly above average high temperatures.

Air Quality: Heaviest impacts will again be in areas closest to the fires. Lingering smoke may be dense at times in the valleys but thinning is expected, especially south of fires. As fires become more active later in the day, areas will see heavier impacts in the evening into overnight as smoke settles into valleys and local drainages. For more information on air quality and to see monitors near you, visit Airnow or the California Smoke Blog. For more information on what you can do to protect yourself and loved ones, visit the EPA's site on fires and your health. Your local health department is also a great source of information!

Closures/Evacuations: Evacuation Advisory Alert is in effect for the communities of Cromberg and Sloat. Residents there should make preparations to evacuate. Hwy 70 is currently open with a police escort from LaPorte Road to Spring Garden.

An evacuation center remains in place for Susanville at the Lassen Community College Dormitories. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds.

For immediate text notifications about emergency alerts, residents can sign up for the Plumas and Lassen County’s CodeRed Emergency Alert System from their respective websites: Plumas - https://www.plumascounty.us/; Lassen - http://www.lassencounty.org/dept/sheriffs-office/sheriffs-office Visit CalTrans at quickmap.dot.ca.gov or call 1-800-427-7623 for the latest maps and information of road closures in your area.

COVID-19: California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 has implemented precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in both fire the surrounding communities.

North Complex Fires: Claremont Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6996/ Bear Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7025/ Sheep Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7067/ Forest Closures: https://fs.usda.gov/alerts/plumas/alerts-notices

The North Complex is inviting you to a scheduled ZoomGov meeting.
Topic: North Complex Virtual Community MeetingTime: Aug 26, 2020 05:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join ZoomGov Meetinghttps://usfs.zoomgov.com/j/1607397992
Meeting ID: 160 739 7992One tap mobile+16692545252,,1607397992# US (San Jose)+16468287666,,1607397992# US (New York)
Dial by your location        +1 669 254 5252 US (San Jose)        +1 646 828 7666 US (New York)Meeting ID: 160 739 7992Find your local number: https://usfs.zoomgov.com/u/acuLVPvhPu
Join by SIP1607397992@sip.zoomgov.com
Join by H.323161.199.138.10 (US West)161.199.136.10 (US East)5261100.140Meeting ID: 160 739 7992

North Complex Resources:  34 dozers, 140 engines, 15 hand crews, 15 helicopters, 22 water tenders

Current Situation on the North Complex: The North Complex consists of multiple lightning caused fires (August 17, 2020) on the Plumas and Lassen National Forests. 

Light precipitation and higher relative humidities will give crews a head start today as they continue to build or strengthen dozer and hand line on the Sheep, Claremont, and Bear Fires. Smoke columns could develop this afternoon on the fires, which will lead to erratic, gusty winds challenging crews efforts. To date, the Sheep Fire has destroyed 8 residences and damaged 1 residence. The greatest area of concern for the Claremont Fire is the southeast section about ½ mile west of Hwy 70 and threatening the communities of Cromberg and Sloat. Hwy 70 remains closed but is open by escort provided by California Highway Patrol. The Bear Fire continued to grow overnight with aggressive fire behavior on the west side up Bear Creek.

Of the original 21 fires in the complex, 16 are 100% contained, and others have been encompassed by the remaining larger fires. All smaller contained fires are continuing to be monitored. Those fires ranged in size from .1 acres to 8 acres.

Weather: Lingering moisture and instability will lead to a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon into early this evening. The greatest threat for showers and thunderstorms over the North Complex will be in the afternoon hours. It is most likely, however, that showers and thunderstorms will remain north and east of the area similar to Monday. It's still possible that winds could affect the area in the afternoon and building smoke columns are likely to lead to some erratic and gusty winds in the heat of the afternoon and evening.

Air Quality: Heaviest impacts will again be in areas closest to the fires. Lingering smoke may be dense at times in the valleys but thinning is expected, especially south of fires. As fires become more active later in the day, areas will see heavier impacts in the evening into overnight as smoke settles into valleys and local drainages. For a fire and smoke map, go to https://fire.airnow.gov/

Closures/Evacuations: Evacuation Advisory Alert is in effect for the communities of Cromberg and Sloat. Residents there should make preparations to evacuate. Highway 70 remained CLOSED between Spring Garden and La Porte Road, but escorted groups were allowed by the California Highway Patrol as conditions allowed.

Evacuation centers are in place for the following communities: Susanville at the Lassen Community College Dormitories. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds; Quincy at the Quincy High School. No small animals are able to be accommodated at the high school; Greenhorn and Spring Garden at the Portola Station Baptist Church.

For immediate text notifications about emergency alerts, residents can sign up for the Plumas and Lassen County’s CodeRed Emergency Alert System from their respective websites: Plumas - https://www.plumascounty.us/; Lassen - http://www.lassencounty.org/dept/sheriffs-office/sheriffs-office

Visit CalTrans at quickmap.dot.ca.gov or call 1-800-427-7623 for the latest maps and information of road closures in your area.

COVID-19: California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 has implemented precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in both fire the surrounding communities.

North Complex Fires:

Claremont Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6996/

Bear Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7025/

Sheep Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7067/

Forest Closures: https://fs.usda.gov/alerts/plumas/alerts-notices

###

Smoke Outlook 8-25-2020

North Complex Resources:  34 dozers, 140 engines, 15 hand crews, 15 helicopters, 22 water tenders

Current Situation on the North Complex: The North Complex consists of multiple lightning caused fires (August 17, 2020) on the Plumas and Lassen National Forests. 

A positive break in the weather provided an opportunity today for firefighters to turn their attention to attacking the fires in place of defending structures. Conditions near Susanville allowed multiple fixed wing aircraft to approach the Sheep Fire and drop retardant to bolster the fire line. Increased visibility also allowed helicopters to continue to cool flare-ups. Helicopters and additional crews were also able to amplify efforts on the Claremont and Bear Fires. These fires are discussed in more detail in separate updates.

Of the original 21 fires in the complex, 16 are now 100% contained. The Willard and Fleming burned together with the Sheep. The Iron Fire south of Taylorsville (50 acres) and the Copper Fire (65 acres) north of Greenville are now 100% contained. Crews continue to mop up and reinforce the containment lines on those fires. The Neer, Kessler, Anna, Monitor, Monitor 2, Monitor 3, Paxton, Branch, Little, Loop B, Davis, Davis 2, Evans, and Meyers Fires are all 100% contained and in patrol status. Those fires ranged in size from .1 acres to 8 acres.

Weather: RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS THROUGH THIS EVENING. A threat of isolated dry thunderstorms remains possible in the foothills and mountains through this evening. Lightning from dry thunderstorms will have the potential to start new fires. Dry thunderstorms may also produce gusty wind.

Air Quality: Hazy smoke continued today and was most dense in the valleys. Light winds pushed smoke to the north/northeast and areas nearest the fires saw the greatest impacts, namely Susanville and Quincy. Those areas can expect to see unhealthy/very unhealthy conditions overall. Locations near Reno should have seen some relief today as scattered showers continued to pass through. Smoke was expected to thin/mix out around noon into the early evening. For a fire and smoke map, go to https://fire.airnow.gov/

Closures/Evacuations: Evacuation Advisory Alert is in effect for the communities of Cromberg and Sloat. Residents there should make preparations to evacuate. Highway 70 remained CLOSED between Spring Garden and La Porte Road, but escorted groups were allowed by the California Highway Patrol as conditions allowed.

Evacuation centers are in place for the following communities: Susanville at the Lassen Community College Dormitories. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds; Quincy at the Quincy High School. No small animals are able to be accommodated at the high school; Greenhorn and Spring Garden at the Portola Station Baptist Church.

For immediate text notifications about emergency alerts, residents can sign up for the Plumas and Lassen County’s CodeRed Emergency Alert System from their respective websites: Plumas - https://www.plumascounty.us/; Lassen - http://www.lassencounty.org/dept/sheriffs-office/sheriffs-office

Visit CalTrans at quickmap.dot.ca.gov for the latest maps with road closures in your area.

COVID-19: California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 has implemented precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in both fire the surrounding communities.

North Complex Fires:

Claremont Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6996/

Bear Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7025/

Sheep Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7067/

Forest Closures: https://fs.usda.gov/alerts/plumas/alerts-notices

###

North Complex Resources:  30 dozers, 114 engines, 12 hand crews, 10 helicopters, 16 water tenders

Current Situation on the North Complex: The North Complex consists of multiple lightning caused fires (August 17, 2020) on the Plumas and Lassen National Forests. 

All three large fires in the North Complex – Sheep, Claremont, and Bear Fires – experienced pyrocumulus development yesterday leading to vertical smoke columns and significant fire advancement as a result of Red Flag conditions. The Sheep made a strong push to the east towards Hwy 395 in the Wingfield Road area. The Claremont Fire crossed the Middle Fork of the Feather River and aggressively moved eastward. The Bear Fire grew on the north and south sides. Despite significant fire growth in residential areas, there were no reported structure losses from yesterday. More details of these fires are covered in separate updates.

Of the original 21 fires in the complex, 16 are now 100% contained. The Willard and Fleming burned together with the Sheep. The Iron Fire south of Taylorsville (50 acres) and the Copper Fire (65 acres) north of Greenville are now 100% contained. Crews continue to mop up and reinforce the containment lines on those fires. The Neer, Kessler, Anna, Monitor, Monitor 2, Monitor 3, Paxton, Branch, Little, Loop B, Davis, Davis 2, Evans, and Meyers Fires are all 100% contained and in patrol status. Those fires ranged in size from .1 acres to 8 acres.

Weather: There is a Red Flag Warning for Gusty Outflow Winds & Dry Lightning In Effect Until Tuesday Morning. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected this morning. In addition to concern for new fire starts, gusty winds and brief light to moderate rainfall will be possible. There's likely to be a break in the weather late morning into the early afternoon before more showers and thunderstorms develop along and near the Sierra Crest. Afternoon to evening thunderstorms east of the North Complex, could cause winds to push into the area.

Air Quality: Smoke impacts to communities are expected to improve somewhat today due to the incoming thunderstorms. However, an increase in fire activity later this afternoon may increase smoke coming into the area. Areas of better air quality are expected above the foothill communities. For a fire and smoke map, go to https://fire.airnow.gov/

Closures/Evacuations: Highway 70 remains CLOSED between Spring Garden and Quincy La Porte Road. Highway 395 is open without restrictions.

Evacuation centers are in place for the following communities: Susanville at the Lassen Community College Dormitories. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds; Quincy at the Quincy High School. No small animals are able to be accommodated at the high school; Greenhorn and Spring Garden at the Portola Station Baptist Church.

For immediate text notifications about emergency alerts, residents can sign up for the Plumas and Lassen County’s CodeRed Emergency Alert System from their respective websites: Plumas - https://www.plumascounty.us/; Lassen - http://www.lassencounty.org/dept/sheriffs-office/sheriffs-office

Visit CalTrans at quickmap.dot.ca.gov for the latest maps with road closures in your area.

COVID-19: California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 has implemented precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in both fire the surrounding communities.

North Complex Fires:

Claremont Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6996/

Bear Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7025/

Sheep Fire – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7067/

Forest Closures: https://fs.usda.gov/alerts/plumas/alerts-notices

See Attached Smoke Outlook for 8-24-2020